As readers of our Central Massachusetts family law blog are aware, the enforcement of child support orders can be a big source of stress for the recipients. In every Massachusetts divorce involving children, issues related to child support and child custody and visitation must be settled. However, once a child support order is in place, it can be difficult for recipients to enforce such orders.
In a rare turn of events, the recent winner of a $381 million Powerball jackpot now has the financial means to catch up on his back child support payments. After the announcement of his lottery winnings, Pedro Quezada’s local county sheriff’s office announced that the 44-year-old owes $29,000 in back child support. In fact, there is currently an outstanding child support warrant in his name.
The back child support owed by Mr. Quezada could be satisfied in a variety of different ways. The sheriff’s office is currently attempting to notify him in an effort to resolve the issue. The large amount of his winnings also means that the lottery division could satisfy the child support judgment before releasing his winnings. Until then, Mr. Quezada could potentially be arrested due to the outstanding warrant.
While this story is certainly not the norm, it does highlight the consequences of falling behind on child support payments. Whether assistance is needed in enforcing a child support order or obtaining a modification of an order due to changed circumstances, an experienced Massachusetts family law attorney can assist in all child support related matters.
Source: NBC, “Powerball winner Pedro Quezada owes $29,000 in child support, NJ sheriff says,” Craig Giammona, March 30, 2013